Triple A, Part III
by alynwa
Summary: As Alan and Tara's relationship deteriorates, He and Adrienne meet their son.
1. Chapter 1

Triple A, Part III

Chapter I

Tara sitting at her desk and Alan sitting on the couch looked like two attorneys discussing some important legal matter. The reality was, when the hallway on the other side of the glass wall had cleared for a moment, on Tara's mark, Alan had crawled out from under her desk after…_attending _to her needs and they were both catching their breath.

She sighed, "I do so appreciate your…creativity, Alan. Then again, one has to be creative in this place. Whose idea was it to have glass walls for the offices anyway?" Alan laughed, "Some voyeur's, I'm sure." He glanced at his watch, noted the time and said, "Well, enough fun and games. I'm going to my office to do some actual, _billable_ work." He stood up and smoothed his jacket, then reached into his inner pocket and pulled out some breath mints. He smiled wickedly at Tara as he popped two into his mouth, "I'll come back to see you before I leave tonight."

Tara watched him as he moved toward her door. "Alan," she called. When he turned around to face her, she asked, "Is Adrienne still in town?" Alan, for the briefest of moments, considered lying as it seemed easier than the truth but, he didn't really want to start down that slippery slope. "Yes, she's still in town. I'm actually expecting a call from her." Tara reached into her drawer and pulled out a file. She glanced up at Alan and asked, "Are you seeing her tonight?" Alan leaned against the door and replied, "I don't know. Would you have a problem if I were to see her tonight?" "I imagine that would depend on the reason why you were seeing her," she retorted before focusing her attention on the papers in the file. Alan exhaled loudly and exited her office; he knew that somehow, he was in the doghouse but, wasn't exactly sure how to make it better. _I don't think this is going to go well for me._

Alan was picking Denny's brain for advice on how to handle a civil case. If anyone had walked into the office, she would have heard what sounded like a conversation about produce. Denny was going on and on about carrots, lettuce, turnips and tomatoes. Anyone else would have dismissed what Denny was saying out of hand. Not Alan, he understood that Denny Crane had _forgotten_ more about the law than most people ever knew in the first place and, if allowed to speak freely, Denny would give great advice. Even if he didn't realize it. "Thank you, Denny, you're right. Getting the jury to see that this is about harvesting turnips _is_ the best way to go. You're a genius!" The older man leaned back on the sofa and grinned. "Denny Crane!" Alan smiled at his best friend and declared, "Indeed." Just then, the intercom buzzed. Alan pressed the speaker button. "Yes, Catherine." "Your…_friend_ is on line 2, dear." Alan decided to play dumb, "Who would that be, Catherine?" He was answered with an exasperated sigh before Catherine said, "_Adrienne_, dear. Please don't ask me to say her name again."

Alan checked his watch, it was 5PM. He pushed line 2 and picked up the receiver. At the mention of Adrienne's name, Denny's ears had perked up and he listened intently to Alan's half of the conversation. After about ten minutes, he hung up. Denny leaned forward, "Well? She spoke to him, didn't she? Did she say how it went?" "She wants to meet me this evening. Denny, would you mind if I sleep over and postpone our balcony time tonight until I get to your house? I really think I need to talk to Adrienne completely sober." Denny stood up and watched as Alan gathered his things and prepared to leave. "That's fine, Alan. This whole thing has you nervous as hell," Denny observed. Alan nodded, "I told Adrienne that I wasn't nervous until she made me be but, the truth is I've been thinking about the day our son might contact us ever since he turned 22 and his parents told him about us. I'm not just nervous, I'm…_afraid._"Denny clapped Alan's shoulder and said, "I'm sure you and Adrienne will handle this just fine. Trust yourself; you made the right decision when you were kids and you'll both make good decisions now." Alan smiled as he and Denny walked out of his office, "I really appreciate your support, Denny. I'll see you later tonight; I'm going to say goodnight to Tara."

_I knew this wasn't going to go well, I just knew it. _Tara hadn't said anything untoward when Alan said he was leaving to meet Adrienne but, the set of her face told him she was more than a little displeased. _I just know that if I leave now, the next few days, if not weeks, of my life are going to be miserable but, I really don't know what to do here. _Alan took a deep breath, let it out and in his most conciliatory tone asked, "Are you feeling alright? You seem…annoyed." Tara leaned back in her chair and folded her arms and replied, "Annoyed? Why ever would I be annoyed? Some woman from your past shows up unannounced at our place of business whereupon I find out from your _secretary _that you are a father. I understand a lot of your past is painful but, we've been seeing each other for over a year! You could have told me she _existed, _Alan. If she hadn't shown up yesterday, would I have known she existed?"

Alan looked at his watch and back at Tara. "Listen," he started, "you and I do need to sit down and talk and I'm sorry that we don't have time to do it now but, soon. However, I want to leave you something to think about until we talk. I sired a child but, I am _not _a father. And, you probably would not have known Adrienne existed if she hadn't stopped by the office. But, if you can't understand how not choosing to have my child or his mother with me has affected my life since the day she and I signed away our parental rights, I have to wonder if you know _me_ after having dated for more than a year. I'll see you later." He smiled ruefully at her and left her office. _You may have a point, Alan_, Tara thought, _but, this makes me wonder what else you've been keeping from me._

Fifteen minutes later found Alan on Washington Street in front of Teranga. Adrienne got out of a cab a minute later. After a quick peck on the cheek, they went inside the fairly empty restaurant and were seated at a table a little away from the bar that offered as much privacy as possible. They both opted for bottled water instead of alcohol. They ordered their meals and when the server walked away, they clinked their glasses and sipped. Alan said, "This is a first for me. I've never been to a Senegalese restaurant before." Adrienne nodded, "Neither have I. I was looking for a place where we could talk without being disturbed. A few online reviews said this is the place you bring your lover when you want to go out without being seen. And, all the reviews rave about the food. No wine tonight?" Alan smiled and replied, "I think I should be completely clearheaded for this conversation. What did Adrian say to you? Does he still want to meet us?"

Adrienne smiled broadly. "Alan, yes, he wants to meet us and I can't wait to meet him! Can you believe it? He went to medical school! Our son is a doctor!" It was Alan's turn to smile, "Really? What school?" "After he graduated from SUNY at Albany, he was accepted into Cornell University's Medical School on a full scholarship. He's a first year resident at the Albany Medical Center now. He told me his specialty but, honestly, I was so nervous speaking with him I don't remember what he said. There is one thing though…" Alan stopped smiling and leaned forward, "What is it?" "Well, residents work an obscene amount of hours per week and are constantly on call. He was able to trade off with some of his fellow residents so that he has a block of about 12 hours of free time this Saturday. He wants to know if we would be willing to meet him in South Deerfield at noon since it's halfway between Albany and Boston. I told him I was willing and I thought you would be too but, I would ask and make sure. Can you do it?"

"Absolutely. If I have anything scheduled, I will change it." Adrienne pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed Triple A's number, "I'll probably get his voicemail." Sure enough, Adrian's message started to play. She handed the phone to Alan and said, "You leave the message." Alan listened to his son's voice for the first time and was surprised at how emotional it made him. After the beep sounded, he said quietly, "Adrian, this is…um, this is Alan Shore. This Saturday at noon in South Deerfield sounds like a plan. My cell is 615-555-5942. You can call or text either me or your, I mean _Adrienne_ to let us know where exactly to meet you. I'm really looking forward to this. See you soon. 'Bye." As he handed the phone back, he mused, "He sounds a little like me, don't you think?"

"That's why I wanted you to hear his message. He does sound like you. When he and I spoke earlier today, I did tell him some things about us; a lot of things he already knew from his parents, like how old we were when he was born and where he was born. He knows we're both single, that he has no biological siblings and that we are both only children. I told him a little about my mom and I said that I would let you tell him about your family." Alan looked a little distressed, "Oh, dear." Adrienne rubbed his hand and reassured him, "You don't have to tell him everything, Alan, just, whatever you feel comfortable sharing. You have three and a half days to think about it. Treat it as an opening statement if that makes it easier." Alan allowed himself a slight grin, "Thank you, Adrienne. That might help. And, this restaurant was an excellent choice! The food was wonderful and we certainly had privacy. Would you like to have an after dinner drink?" "Coffee would be nice. I have to be up and out early tomorrow. I'm doing some work for a bail bondsman tomorrow and Thursday." Alan ordered coffee for both of them. After he tasted his, he looked at her and said, "Will you take my head off if I say I worry about you chasing felons all over the country?" Adrienne put her cup down and said, "No, I won't. I'm actually working with two other hunters who are extremely good at their jobs; we've worked together before. I'll be fine. How is Tara handling all of…this business?"

Alan paid the check and waved off Adrienne's offer to split it. "I'm not sure how this is going to shake out, Adrienne. She's taking it personally that I had never mentioned you to her." Adrienne rolled her eyes and said, "Well, for God's sake, don't tell her that _I _knew about _her._ You sidestepped the question when we were at dinner with Denny. Are you in love with her? Is she in love with you?" They stepped to the curb and Alan hailed a cab; after they entered, Alan told the driver to go to the Onyx. Alan leaned back into the seat and finally responded, "We care deeply about each other. I don't think we're in love. I can't even tell her I love her; I tell her she smells good. I don't know how much longer we'll be together." He looked out the window and watched the city go by. When the cab arrived at the Onyx, he instructed the driver to wait while he got out to go open Adrienne's door. She hugged him, "Thanks for dinner! We'll talk on Friday." He looked at her. "Yes, Alan, I promise I'll be careful." She kissed him on his cheek. "For the record, I get no joy from being right about your feelings for Tara. Goodnight, Sweetie." "I know. Love you. Goodnight." "I love you, too, Alan. Get home safe."

Denny and Alan were sitting on Denny's bedroom balcony with a bottle of scotch smoking Dominican cigars. It was about 8PM when the cab dropped Alan at Denny's suburban home. It was a pleasant late summer night and both men were enjoying being in their pajamas with a gently blowing breeze swirling around them. Denny had a look on his face like he was trying to figure out algebra in his head. Finally, he looked at Alan and said, "Help me out here. You can't tell Tara that you love her; you can only tell she 'smells good' but, almost every time you speak to Adrienne, you say 'I love you.' What is that about?" Alan pulled his cigar out of his mouth and turned his head to his friend. "I have no idea," he responded, "I can't even focus on that right now. Denny, I'm going to meet my _son_, my 26 year old son! There's nothing in my life experience to prepare me for that!"

Denny stood up and stretched, then walked around the perimeter of the balcony. "I _do _have some experience with this." Alan poured more scotch for both of them and said, "Oh, really." "Yes, really. Have you forgotten about Donny Crane? Granted, it's not exactly the same as your situation but, there are some similarities. I didn't raise him either and I only saw him four times while he was growing up with the last time being when he was twelve. OK, so he wasn't my son biologically but, I liked him; I paid for his education and I let him keep the name when he found out he wasn't mine. Whatever. My point is: You and Adrienne made the best decision you could make given the circumstances. You have no reason to feel ashamed about what you chose to do. Didn't you tell Tara and me that you would have stepped in if you thought he was being abused?" Alan looked down at his lap. "Yes," he whispered. Denny had circled back to his chair and sat down. "I know you, Alan. If you had thought for even a _minute _that your child was in harm's way, you would have done everything in your power to save him. And, if _Adrienne_ had thought he was being abused…" Alan snorted, "She would have killed them and made it look like an accident." "No doubt. When you meet Adrian Alan Anderson, hold your head up high. Be proud of what you did for him." Alan sat looking at his glass of scotch in his lap awhile longer, then drained it and stood up. "I'm going to go read myself to sleep. Denny, you always seem to know exactly what to say to make me feel better. You really are my best friend." Denny stood up as well. "I might as well go in, too. And, I had to make you feel better; otherwise, you would toss and turn all night and keep me awake. At my age, I need all the beauty sleep I can get."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

_The next two days for Alan were a blur of court dates and appearances, client meetings, settlement talks and long hours. He was glad for the distraction of work. He and Tara went out for dinner Thursday night; it wasn't a total disaster but, it was close. _ _Alan had returned to the offices after escorting Tara home and being told goodnight at the door and was on the balcony having drinks and cigars with Denny._

"Denny, I am really at a loss about how to proceed with Tara. We're just…_out of sync_ right now." "I didn't expect to see you at all tonight, Alan. Did you two have a fight?" Alan shrugged his shoulders and took a gulp of scotch, "No, not really. I wish we had. It was all so very civilized. We would have these snippets of conversation followed by these tremendously awkward silences. Finally, she asked me if I wanted to talk about our relationship. I told her no because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I think that put her off because she wanted to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room and I was a little put off because I felt like she should have understood why I _didn't _want to talk about the gorilla in the room."

Denny was staring at Alan in utter confusion. "Alan, I thought we were talking about Tara. Why are you talking about gorillas?" Alan smiled, "I'm sorry, Denny. I guess I'm not making a lot of sense. What I mean is that I am so preoccupied with thoughts of Triple A and Adrienne that I can't concentrate on Tara now. I'm going to meet my son the day after tomorrow and I'm freaked out about it. And because of that, I'm afraid something will go wrong and I'm also worried about Adrienne working right now and possibly getting hurt. What does that say about my relationship with Tara that I don't feel comfortable sharing with her what I just shared with you? What does that say about _me_?"

Denny grunted his understanding. "It says that you are still sane enough not to talk to your girlfriend about another woman who not only knows you even more intimately than she does but, shares something with you that you've never considered sharing with her." Alan looked at Denny with a combination of wonder and admiration, "Denny, you never cease to amaze me." Denny leaned back and blew smoke above his head, "Good. Keeps the love fresh." Alan noted the time and asked, "Sleepover, Denny?" Denny stubbed out his cigar and said, "Why not? But, I'm not having sex with you!" Alan picked up their empty glasses and walked into Denny's office, "Thank God."

The next day, Denny and Alan were pleasantly surprised when the judge presiding over their criminal case announced that court was adjourning for the day at 1PM. As soon as the courtroom cleared, Alan checked his phone for messages. There was a text from Triple A suggesting they meet at Chandler's Tavern next to the Yankee Candle Flagship store at noon. He replied back that was fine. He showed Denny the text and said, "This is perfect, Denny; I can do some early Christmas shopping. I'll pick up some of those scents that you like for the house and the condo." Denny had finished placing his papers in his briefcase and stood up, "I would like that, thank you, Alan. Are there any messages from Adrienne?" Alan worried his bottom lip, "Not yet. I'm thinking she won't call before 4 o'clock." "Alan!" Alan's eyes darted up to meet his mentor's face. "She's fine," Denny said calmly, "I'm sure of it." They walked out of the courthouse to the local deli to buy sandwiches to take back to the office. They stopped in the office galley and got sodas and chips to go with their lunch then, settled into Alan's office. Catherine came in a moment later with his messages, "Tara wanted me to tell her when you returned. Do you want me to call her now or when you've finished eating?" Alan wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "I'll call her, Catherine, thank you."

Denny finished eating and stretched out on the couch. "You know," he said, "if Adrienne calls soon, we could actually leave at 5 like normal people." Alan had finished his sandwich and pulled out his notes from the morning's court session. "Denny, there is such a thing as a cell phone; Adrienne knows how to call mine. We can leave at 5 whether she calls or not." Denny lifted his head and peered at Alan, "You don't fool me; you want her to call you while we're here so you can tell her to come here. You want to see her, make sure she's in one piece." Alan rolled his eyes and went back to transcribing his notes. "You're being overly dramatic, Denny."

There was a knock on the door casement followed by Tara entering the room. Denny roused himself from the couch, smiled at Tara, waved at Alan and left. _Coward, _Alan thought. Aloud, he said, "How is your day going, Tara?" She came farther into his office and sat in a chair. "It's been fine, actually. Shirley and I defended this professor who I think is not as innocent as we originally thought. And I couldn't believe it; opposing counsel was…"

Just then, Alan's cell rang. "Excuse me a moment," he said when he saw it was Adrienne. Tara's face registered frustration but, she said nothing. The relief in Alan's voice and face were unmistakable, "Hi, I thought you'd be calling later. Yes, yes. But, you're all right? You're sure? Good. Come to Boylston Street. I did hear from him, yes. I'll see you soon. Back at you. Bye." He snapped the phone shut and smiled apologetically at Tara. "I'm sorry, I had to take that. You were saying?" Tara stood up, "Nothing important. I just wanted to ask you if you and Adrienne have made arrangements to meet your son." Alan stood up, buttoned and smoothed his jacket, then walked around his desk to stand next to Tara. He ran his left hand up and down her right arm. "Yes, we're going to meet him in South Deerfield tomorrow afternoon. He's a medical intern and can only get away for a few hours so we're meeting him halfway between here and Albany." "Alan, I really don't wish to sound insensitive. I _am_ happy for you but, you have been marginalizing me ever since your friend Adrienne came to town. It's like I don't matter to you at all. I was really hoping we would be able to spend time together this weekend but, obviously, that's not happening." Alan looked into her eyes and said, "I don't know what you want me to say, Tara. I want to meet my son. I don't want to feel like I have to choose between seeing you and meeting him. I feel like I have to censor myself to protect your emotions when I just want to feel what I'm feeling without being judged." Tara began to walk toward the doorway, "Really, Alan, I am happy for you. It sounds like your weekend is tied up. I'll see you on Monday." She walked out without waiting for a response. Alan thought about following her but, decided against it. He went back to his desk and got back to work.

Forty-five minutes later, Catherine buzzed Alan to let him know that Adrienne had arrived. When she came into his office, he rose from his desk and went to hug her but; her sharp intake of breath stopped him. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. She leaned in gently and kissed his cheek. "There was a bit of a struggle and I have some bruised ribs. I'm OK, Alan! Really, I'm OK." Alan sat down on his sofa, "Well, maybe _I'm _not OK. We really have to talk about your job." Adrienne sat down next to him, "I know but, not now, not this weekend. This weekend is about us meeting Triple A. OK?" "Not really but, OK. He sent me a text that he wants to meet us at some restaurant called Chandler's Tavern." Adrienne smiled with recognition, "I've been there! Great food and I can go to Yankee Candle! Perfect! Where's Denny?" "In his office. Let's go see him."

Adrienne and Alan found Denny on his balcony tucking into his first scotch of the evening. First Alan then Denny tried to get Adrienne to sit but, she declined, saying that she preferred to stand. After telling the story of how her ribs got bruised, she delighted Denny and horrified Alan by lifting her shirt and showing the mottled purple marks around her rib section. Denny sucked on his cigar and looked at the bruises with great interest and respect, "So Adrienne," he asked, "what does the other guy look like?" Adrienne took a sip of scotch, grimaced and puffed on her cigar. "He's in the hospital."

Denny looked from one to the other. "So," he inquired, "how are you getting to South Deerfield tomorrow?" Adrienne looked at Alan who responded, "I'm driving us there. It's a two hour drive; shouldn't be a problem." Denny said, "I understand this is a historical moment for both of you and I would never ask to be a part of it but, I'm asking to be a part of it. Take my car. Let me feel like I'm a part of all this somehow. Alan will tell you, Adrienne that I don't like him driving when he is distracted. Meeting your son has got to be the King of All Distractions. And, with your sore ribs, you can stretch out in the back seat. What do you say? Please?" Alan glanced over at Adrienne. She shrugged and said, "The first time I was ever chauffeured was the other day when we went to Denny's. I wouldn't mind doing that again." Denny smiled like the Cheshire Cat. "It's settled then! We'll all stay at my place then you two will leave from there. Let's go eat! Lock and load!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

The next evening found Adrienne and Alan sitting in Denny's living room regaling the older man with their account of the events that had taken place earlier in the day. To say they were happy would have been the understatement of the year. They were, at various points in the conversation, ecstatic, exhilarated, gratified and just plain elated. They interrupted each other and laughed. They were drinking white wine and loving it and life.

"Denny, it was amazing! _He_ is amazing! You knew I was afraid to meet him. I was so afraid that he would hate us for giving him away but, he doesn't! He _hugged _us and thanked us for giving him a chance to have a good life! I was…" Alan choked up, shook his head and sipped his wine. Denny looked at Adrienne and smiled, "Has he been like this all day?" "No, only since we got in the car to come home. To be fair, he was good the entire time we were with Triple A. We ate lunch and had a fabulous conversation. We went shopping in Yankee Candle. We talked about his life, my life, Alan's life. It was so incredible!" Adrienne was still so excited she jumped off the sofa and practically ran to Denny, "Denny, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks. Denny happily hugged her back. "If you hadn't insisted on us taking your car, we'd still be there. Someone drove Adrian there for the same reason; it was…" Alan broke in, "His girlfriend. He introduced us to his _girlfriend, _Denny! She didn't stay with us, though. Nora, that's her name, Nora, said she would give us privacy so, she introduced herself to your driver and they ate lunch together. She's lovely." Adrienne said, "We were both so emotional when we got in the car to head back to your place. Alan raised the privacy panel, looked at me and said 'Can you believe we just spent three hours with _our son? And, he wants to stay in touch with us? Oh, my God!_' We started laughing, hugging, crying and high-fiving each other like crazy. We couldn't help it. We were just…_giddy_. Driving was the last thing we were capable of doing."

Adrienne freshened Denny's drink, "He loves being a doctor, Denny. He's specializing in geriatric medicine. He wants to do research on Alzheimer's disease." Denny grinned and held up his glass, "Fantastic! Maybe he'll be the one to find a cure for Mad Cow!" Adrienne and Alan both smiled at that. _Look at them, _Denny thought, _they're sitting on the couch grinning like, well like proud parents. _

Denny stood up. "I didn't know how hungry you would be when you got here, so I had the cook prepare a light buffet: finger sandwiches, soup, salad and whatever else she put out there." Adrienne got up, "That's perfect! Alan, tell Denny the tuna sandwich story Triple A told us."

The three of them had been curled up together on the living room sofa watching movies for hours. Denny had flat out refused to let Adrienne go back to her hotel. "You're Alan's family, that makes you my family. He's staying, you're staying. A great day like you two have had does not deserve to end alone in a hotel room," he had said. Adrienne had been truly touched. When it was time to put on pajamas, she had borrowed one of Alan's nightshirts.

After the credits finished rolling on the last movie of the night, Denny looked at Alan and said, "Can I ask you something?" "Of course you can. What do you want to know?" Denny put his bowl of popcorn down and sat up straight. "Have you spoken to Tara today?" Alan took a sip of his wine, "No." Denny wasn't finished, "Did she even cross your mind today?" Alan exhaled slowly, "No. Part of me thinks I should call her tomorrow but, a bigger part of me wants to wait until Monday. I just want to revel in the reality that Triple A wants me in his life, that the mother of my child is safe and reasonably healthy and my best friend understands me and supports me no matter what." Adrienne, who had been sitting there listening quietly, finally spoke up, "You two just ought to go ahead and get married. You already share a bed." Denny said, "Yeah, right. Like _that's _going to happen." She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm just saying." Alan stood up and stretched. "Speaking of bed, I'm going." Adrienne said, "Me, too." He bent down and kissed Adrienne's forehead, "Goodnight." Denny raised his hand, "I'll pass on the kiss but, I'll join you." With a goodnight kiss to Adrienne, Denny turned and led the way upstairs.

Monday just flew by for Alan: Adrienne left for a job in Nevada, Denny was second chair for him on a high-profile murder case that lasted all morning and most of the afternoon and he had just missed Tara when he got back to Crane Poole and Schmidt. He went to the office galley to get a bottle of water and ran into Shirley Schmidt herself. "Shirley! How are you? Did you happen to see Tara within the past hour? It seems like I've been just missing her all day." Shirley took a bottle of water from the fridge and said, "I have seen her, actually. She is co-counsel on a case with a lawyer representing a man suing for the right to sing an anti-war song some club owner thinks is un-American." Alan drank deeply from his water and asked, "What lawyer? Someone with the firm?" Shirley looked uncomfortable for a moment then answered him, "No, his name is Malcolm Holmes."

Alan gave her a look of incredulity, "Her _ex-boyfriend?_"


End file.
